Athena
Cooper’s tragic past drives her to seek solace in a bottle. The addiction
threatens her legal career, and she risks spiraling out of control. When her
dog engineers a meeting with an all-too-handsome hunk, it’s lust at first
sight…until she discovers his identity.
Businessman
Russell Crawford is desperate to find the woman who cheated him out of his
inheritance. His shock when she turns out to be the gorgeous redhead he had a
brief encounter with is only surpassed when she claims his father was a
murderer.
Athena and Russ declare a truce and join forces to investigate the mystery of her parents’ disappearance from an isolated island off the rugged Northwest Coast of British Columbia. Russ promises to be her safe harbor as they uncover long-buried secrets that rock her very foundation.
Can
she overcome a lifelong distrust and open her heart to love?
Wild Women Authors is pleased to feature author C.B. Clark as she celebrates the release of her latest romantic suspense, Twisted Lies. She recently spent a few minutes with us, talking about her process and this book.
What
movies or books have had an impact on your career as a writer? I love to read, and I read in multiple genres, but my
favorite books are mysteries and thrillers with a touch of romance. I love a
suspenseful read, but I also want a happy ending. As a child, I read the entire
Nancy Drew Mystery series. Later, I moved on to Harlequin romances, and
then I discovered Daphne Du Maurier’s classic gothic romance, Rebecca. I
never looked back…Linda Howard, Mary Stewart, Catherine Coulter, and of course,
the unstoppable Nora Roberts. These authors, and many more, taught me what I
like in a good story, and I hope I’ve conveyed that in my own writing.
What
event in your private life were you able to bring to this story and how do you
feel it impacted the novel? Twisted
Lies is my seventh romantic suspense,
but it’s the first where a dog is a central character. No mystery how that
happened. My husband and I adopted a puppy a year ago. I was in the middle of
writing Twisted Lies, but with all the uncertainty and chaos of the
pandemic, I found myself glued to the news. I didn’t/couldn’t write for a long
time, but Penny, a Brittany with tons of energy, wasn’t putting up with that.
She needed and demanded a long run every day. Her sad, puppy dog eyes (and some
serious whining) dragged me out onto the wooded trails behind my house.
Her joy in chasing butterflies, birds,
and squirrels took my mind off the news and reminded me of all the good in this
world. Thanks to Penny, I found my muse again and finished the manuscript. Dogs
can do that. That’s their superpower. The heroine in Twisted Lies struggles
with an alcohol addiction, and her dog, Otis, much like my Penny, helps her.
Tell
us a bit about your publisher: how did you hear about them and what influenced
your decision to submit to them? I
have seven books published by The Wild Rose Press. TWRP is a small publisher
with a big heart. A friend recommended them, and when I researched the company,
I discovered they’ve won several awards for best publisher. They respond
promptly to submissions, they’re supportive and professional, and the lines of
communication are always open. If you’re looking for a home for your
manuscript, I highly recommend TWRP.
What
book[s] currently rest on your TBR pile? Billy Summers, Steven King’s
latest’ Touching the Void by Joe Simpson, a true story of miraculous
survival after a mountain climber’s trek in the Andes goes horribly wrong; Blind
Tiger by Sandra Brown.
Lastly, what's up next and
when can we expect to see it on the shelves? I just signed a contract for my eighth book with
TWRP. Forging Forgiveness is another romantic suspense, and it should be
released sometime in the spring.
Excerpt:
How was it possible? After all these years? The past she’d been
running from had found her. The nightmare was back. The envelope fell from her
shaking hands. Her legs wobbled as she rose and stumbled out of the living room
and down the short hall to the kitchen.
Afternoon sunlight streamed through the window above the sink. The
cozy kitchen, with its walls painted a cheerful butter yellow, and the
well-scrubbed laminate countertops, gleamed. The steady hum of the refrigerator
and ticking of the antique clock on the wall were the only sounds in the silent
house. The pungent smell of fried onions and roasted garlic from last night’s
homemade spaghetti sauce hung in the air.
The efficient kitchen, with its breakfast nook and view of the
tidy, fenced backyard and the rolling, grassy foothills and snow-crested Rocky
Mountains beyond, was the reason she’d bought the small rancher. This was her
favorite room—the place she sought refuge when life overwhelmed her. How many
times had she sat there in the evenings after work, sipping a glass of chilled
white wine, watching the birds at the feeder on the back porch, breathing in
the sweet smells of flowering Saskatoon bushes, regrouping until she was ready
to face the world?
These days, her drink of choice was a cup of herbal tea or
unsweetened apple juice. Alcohol was off the table…had been for twenty-one
unendurable days.
But today, all bets were off.
To purchase Twisted Lies, go to:
Amazon:
Barnes & Noble:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/twisted-lies-c-b-clark/1140006831?ean=9781509238613
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/search?query=twisted+lies+cb+clark
iBooks:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/isbn9781509238620
Books2Read Universal buy
link:
https://books2read.com/u/3Lw8LX
To learn more about C.B.
Clark and the stories she creates, go to: :
Facebook: cbclarkauthor@facebook.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cbclarkauthor
Blog: https://cbclarkauthor.wordpress.com
Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15029617.C_B_Clark
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cbclarkauthor/
Amazon Profile Page: https://www.amazon.com/C.-B.-Clark/e/B01BK61TQG/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1517868402&sr=1-2-ent
Great interview! Good luck with the book!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Jennifer!
DeleteI'm thrilled to be on Wild Women Authors today. Thank you for hosting me and sharing about Twisted Lies.
ReplyDeleteLove any kind of mysteries myself. Best on your new book!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Ilona! Really appreciate you stopping by and commenting.
DeleteLove the story about your new puppy and how she inspired you to look beyond the horrors of the world right now. And love that a "look alike" found its way into your book to help the heroine. Sounds like a great setting for a suspense, with of course, a happily-ever-after. Good luck with your 7th release and the 8th on the way.
ReplyDelete